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Congressman Cohen Expresses Concern Over Trump-Orban Meeting

May 13, 2019

Press Release

President meets with another authoritarian leader

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission), today expressed his concern about President Trump meeting with dictatorial Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban. Congressman Cohen joined House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel in a letter to the president last week expressing misgivings about the planned Oval Office visit. See that letter here.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“President Trump’s meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban is a mistake because it dignifies an authoritarian who is actively undermining democracy and cooperation with our NATO allies while abetting Russian interests in Ukraine.

“No U.S. president has met privately with Orban at the White House for more than 20 years. Since the meeting will go forward, I am hopeful President Trump will urge Orban to end Hungary’s anti-Ukraine policy in NATO, resolve concerns about the relocation of the Russian International Investment Bank to Budapest, ensure that Hungary’s ‘golden visas’ are not used to evade U.S. sanctions, address document security problems to ensure the integrity of the visa waiver program and express concerns about the erosion of democratic institutions.”